The Far Side of the Stars

David Drake

Book 3 of Lt. Leary / RCN

Language: English

Publisher: Baen

Published: Jan 1, 2003

Description:

While the Republic of Cinnabar is at peace with the Alliance, warriors like Lt. Daniel Leary and Signals Officer Adele Mundy must find other work—like escorting a pair of wealthy nobles on an expedition to the back of beyond! The Princess Cecile, the corvette in which they carved their reputations in letters of fire, has been sold as a private yacht, but she still has her guns, her missiles, and her veteran crew. Daniel and Adele will need all of those things as they face winged dragons, an Alliance auxiliary cruiser, jealous lovers, and a mysterious oracle which really does foresee the future. That won't be enough, though, when they penetrate a secret Alliance base and find a hostile fleet ready for a war that will sweep Cinnabar out of a strategically crucial arm of the galaxy. Preventing that will involve skill, courage, and more luck than a sane man could even pray for; and it will require a space battle on a scale that a tiny corvette like the Princess Cecile has no business being involved in. But she'll be in the middle of it anyway, because Daniel, Adele, and their Cinnabar crew would never turn their backs on a fight!

At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

Praise for the Lt. Leary Series:

"Please more Lt. Leary soon!" —Andre Norton

"Updating dashing Horatio Hornblower tactics and vintage John Wayne heroics with . . . formidably battle-hardened female NCOs, Drake gives . . . a full measure of appealing derring-do." —Publishers Weekly

"Drake's [With the Lightnings] once again demonstrates the author's talent for arcane politics and vivid battle scenes . . . a pair of clever and resourceful protagonists . . . action-packed space opera. . . ." —Library Journal

"Drake . . . creates two strong protagonists . . . [With the Lightnings] is an intelligent page-turner . . . the launching of a new futuristic space-navy saga." —Booklist

". . . vintage Drake, fast paced, heroic, and ending in a rousing climax. Drake remains one of the best of the military SF writers." —Science Fiction Chronicle

"[With the Lightnings is] his best and most fun novel . . . I'd love to see a sequel." —Philadelphia Weekly Press

"[Drake] couldn't write a bad action scene at gunpoint, and his sense of humor infuses the characters here [in Lt. Leary, Commanding] with agreeable qualities. . . . Grand fun for lovers of action in high space. —Roland Green

Vietnam veteran, former lawyer, former bus driver, and now bestselling author, David Drake tells a military story like no other. His readers recognize that he can take them where no one else can, with gut-wrenching description that puts them face-to-face with the enemy, and in the midst of the action right on the battlefield. He helped create the audience for mercenary military science fiction with his best-selling "Hammer's Slammers" books. Drake graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Iowa, majoring in history (with honors) and Latin. His stint at Duke University Law School was interrupted for two years by the U.S. Army, where he served as an enlisted interrogator with the 11th Armored Cavalry in Vietnam and Cambodia. Drake has a wife, a son, and various pets.

**

From Booklist

Readers who have been entranced by the previous adventures of Daniel Leary and Adele Munday (With the Lightnings , 1998; Lt. Leary, Commanding , 2000) will sigh with relief to see them again. After settling a few family matters on Cinnabar with the high body count usual for Adele, the pair re-embarks aboard Princess Cecile . Their old ship has been sold out of the navy, however, and is now the private yacht of the Klimovs, two mad Russians touring the stars in search of big game, high stakes gambling, and the priceless Earth Diamond--the last known map of old Earth. With Daniel and Adele doing teamwork, the quest is successful, despite the Klimovs' best efforts and a rogue Cinnabar naval squadron. By then the duo has stumbled on an Alliance plan to stage a Pearl Harbor and must trade the diamond for Cecile , which they turn back into a highly successful warship. But really, Mr. Drake, three years is too long to wait for another Leary-Munday. More and sooner, sir! Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Updating dashing Horatio Hornblower tactics and vintage John Wayne heroics with . . . formidably battle-hardened female NCOs, Drake gives . . . a full measure of appealing derring-do." "Drake's [With the Lightnings] once again demonstrates the author's talent for arcane politics and vivid battle scenes . . . a pair of clever and resourceful protagonists . . . action-packed space opera. . . ." "Drake . . . creates two strong protagonists . . . [With the Lightnings] is an intelligent page-turner . . . the launching of a new futuristic space-navy saga." ." . . vintage Drake, fast paced, heroic, and ending in a rousing climax. Drake remains one of the best of the military SF writers." "[With the Lightnings is] his best and most fun novel . . . I'd love to see a sequel." "I'd certainly welcome more in the same vein." "[Drake] couldn't write a bad action scene at gunpoint, and his sense of humor infuses the characters here [in Lt. Leary, Commanding] with agreeable qualities. . . . Grand fun for lovers of action in high space." "Only a few of us have enough willpower, when a new Dick Francis or the latest volume of a David Drake series comes out in hardcover, to wait for the paperback." "Readers familiar with Drake's style will know what to expect . . . things start running and never stop . . . Drake makes excellent characters out of career soldiers." "He has developed a following . . . just short of cult proportions." "David Drake is now the king of military science fiction." "The keynote of Drake's fiction is realism--grim, gory, and historically accurate." "Drake is one of the most gifted users of historical and military raw materials at work today." 

"Daniel and Adele will need all of those things as they face winged dragons, an Alliance auxiliary cruiser, jealous lovers, and a mysterious oracle which really does foresee the future. That won't be enough, though, when they penetrate a secret Alliance base and find a hostile fleet ready for a war that will sweep Cinnabar out of a strategically crucial arm of the galaxy. Preventing that will involve skill, courage, and more luck than a sane man could even pray for; and it will require a space battle on a scale that a tiny corvette like the Princess Cecile has no business being involved in." "But she'll be in the middle of it anyway, because Daniel, Adele, and their Cinnabar crew would never turn their backs on a fight!"--BOOK JACKET.